This invention relates to consumer products disposed in and dispensed from a package, and more particularly to such consumer products and packages having matched indicia which may identify the package and products as being sold together or otherwise related.
Disposable consumer products and packages containing such products are well known in the art. Such products may include, for example, facial tissues, salted snacks, paper toweling, bar soap, hankies, bath tissue, napkins, placemats, paper plates, chocolates, candies, etc.
Frequently, identifying indicia are provided on the outside of the packaging for such products. Such indicia may include, for example, trademarks, trade dress features, instructions for use, advertising for flank or related products, etc.
Likewise, decorative and identifying indicia may be applied to the products contained in the package. For example, the trademark may appear on both the package and the product as, occurs, for example, in the case of chocolate candy, bar soap, paper toweling, etc.
But, the manufacturer may wish to promote the common theme of decorative indicia between the package and the product contained therein while, at the same time, providing indicia which promote a luxurious appearance or high quality image to the user. The consumer may desire matched, but not identical, indicia.
Certain indicia have become recognized in the art as being particularly consumer preferred for certain consumer products. For example, the embossed indicia illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,156 issued to Schulz is found in bath tissue and has yielded recognition of such products. Such indicia comprise a wavy diamond pattern and signature embossments within the wavy diamonds.
Despite the commercial success of these indicia, to date, no attempt has been made in the art to use such indicia in packaging or to relate packaging and products contained therein through the use of such indicia. For example, the bath tissue embossments illustrated by the aforementioned Schulz ""156 patent are visible on the tissue when the consumer looks through the transparent overwrap in which the tissue is packaged. However, a transparent overwrap is not suitable for certain other products, such as large packages of facial tissue, where a film overwrap is unfeasible for long-term dispensing of the product.
As used herein, two or more indicia are considered to be matched if the indicia are not identical and one of the indicia can be dissected into discrete, finite shapes which, without significant manipulation, such as gross deformation and preferably not rotation of different elements to different degrees, can be used to form the second or other indicium. Alternatively, two or more indicia are considered to be matched if the indicia comprise similar or identical elements organized in a different pattern or sequence.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a package and product contained therein having matched indicia. There further exists a need in the art for matched indicia which promote a luxurious, high quality appearance to the user on both the package and the product contained therein.